Gearbox says Duke didn’t get a fair shake

Gearbox co-founder Brian Martel tells Eurogamer that he thinks Duke Nukem Forever didn’t get a fair review from critics. Critics could also apparently have been less caustic, in his opinion. Martel says he “has no idea of where all of the anger came from.”

While the suggestion that the title didn’t get a fair review is beyond a little harsh in our opinion, what we might say instead is that many reviews were more than a little overcritical. The problem is, however, that Duke comes with a lot of baggage and has been the butt of so many jokes that no mater what Gearbox did, many critics were going to tear it down, if you ask us.

One valid point, however, is that much of the game play in Forever returns back to a more old-school style of game play that perhaps many reviewers were not accustomed to seeing or playing. Duke could have evolved with the times, but should it have?

The bottom line is that the bar and expectations for this title were set far too high. Gearbox should just be grateful that the title turned a profit and move on to the next chapter in the franchise, which we think could be much better if the expectations aren’t as great. In the meantime, we have to wonder if reviewers really remember what they fell in love with in Duke; and maybe they need to re-visit the original before the next title arrives.